Town of Lockport accepts school sidewalk grant

LOCKPORT – New sidewalks on streets leading to public schools will be installed soon, thanks to a state grant the Town Board accepted Wednesday.

The board voted to let Town Supervisor Marc R. Smith sign an agreement with the Department of Transportation for $570,000, which will pay for new sidewalks along East High Street between Magnolia and Greenview drives and along Locust Street Extension, between O’Connor Drive and George Southard Elementary School.

Sidewalks in the City of Lockport’s portion of Locust Street also are on tap, Town Engineer Robert D. Klavoon said.

The grant includes money for school instruction for children on being safe pedestrians and wearing bike helmets.

Alderman Mark C. Crocker said the town hopes to eventually extend the East High Street sidewalk to Day Road. East High Street leads to Roy B. Kelley Elementary School and Emmet Belknap Intermediate School.

Also Wednesday, the board voted for the emergency demolition of an abandoned house at 5431 Old Saunders Settlement Road that the Building Inspection Department has condemned.

Crocker said the floors can no longer support the weight of a person. “The place is rodent-infested, the roof is gone, and the foundation is cracked beyond repair,” he said.

Town Attorney Michael J. Norris said the house is owned by Niagara County, which foreclosed on it because of unpaid property taxes. He said Assistant County Attorney R. Joseph Foltz will recommend to the County Legislature that the town be given the lot in exchange for footing the demolition cost.

Councilman Paul W. Siejak said it’s a 120- by 200-foot lot.

“If we get that in return, it’ll be a fair investment,” said Siejak.

In other matters, the board:

• Accepted a $1,711 donation from resident Thomas Murphy, who is hiring Old Dutchman’s Wrought Iron of Getzville for that amount to install railings on both sides of the concrete steps leading up to town-owned Stahler Cemetery on Beattie Avenue.

• Awarded a $4,650 contract to R. Peer Plumbing and Heating of Lockport for a new furnace and air conditioning unit for the town highway garage.

• Awarded a $23,312 contract to Pipe-Eye Sewer Services of Bradford, Pa., to use remote control TV cameras to inspect sanitary sewer lines in the Carlisle Gardens and Lincoln Village subdivisions and repair problems found.